Tinned tomatoes are wonderful, essential, enduring things: what would we do without them? Of the various types – whole, crushed, pulped, passata – chopped are particularly accommodating, providing a pleasing tomato presence while being easily reduced to sauce, and good value, too. However, chopped tomatoes (unlike whole tomatoes) can also be an excuse for a lesser product and more preservatives, which is why tasting and comparing is essential.
I always taste tomatoes cold, straight from the tin, with my eyes closed – a helper is useful – because, while deep red chunks and sauce are pleasing, they may have no bearing on flavour. I hope for a good balance of sweet, sour (acidity), salty (savoury), bitter and umami; chunks that are firm without being unduly crunchy or unripe; and a sauce that is full-flavoured and has a nice texture, and which might be velvety, but could equally be thinner but juicy. The highest compliment I can pay a tinned tomato is feeling that I could eat the contents cold from the tin.
